Aqua Cognita - the sequel is finished! Kind of.

Finally, finally, finally. It's done. After more tinker-time than I care to calculate, Aqua Incognita, the sequel to Thalassa: The World Beneath the Waves is finished. Which is not to say it's actually out yet, but it's on the way there.

It's been a bit of a slog, to be honest. I've never written a sequel before, and it's quite a different kettle of fish entirely to writing a standalone*. Your degrees of freedom are curtailed by the existence of a past for the characters and setting in the way that just does not happen in a one-off. In fact, the exhilirating feeling that the writing could go anywhere is almost entirely absent, and the imaginary world you've created starts to become a bit more real.

Which is not to say it's not fun to go back: I've missed the characters, and the places, and it's nice to know what happens after so long spent toying with their possible fates - because even if you have a past set out in black and white, the future still allows some leeway. Just not always in a good way.

Now comes editing, thankfully a much faster process than it was for my first two books, and then with any luck the book should be out in September/October 2017 (if the Blue Lady wills it).

And then? Well, part three, of course! I know what it's going to be called (and not much else right now, except for the very end) but you'll just have to wait...

*No fish were harmed in the writing of this sequel. However, after about 5000 brew-ups, the kettle is somewhat the worse for wear.